The Pit

Local title
August välja
Title in Russian
Яма
Original title
Bedre
Director
Dace Puce
Country
Latvia, Poland
Year
2020
Programme
Baltic Film Competition

Crowned winner of the Work in Progress Grand Prix at Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event of the 2019 Black Nights FF digs in to explore consequences of hatred, guilt and revenge. Rebellious Markuss still learns how to tame uncontrollable anger and searches for trustable soulmates. He is forced to live with a grandmother and adapt in not so welcoming neighbourhood. Heartlessly cruel actions and harsh decisions doesn’t help to restore Markuss’es troubled reputation in the countryside. He shares most brutal secrets with the outcasted sailor, who also has something to hide from disgraceful society.

Atmospheric coming-of-age and rediscovering-yourself slow-burn thriller provokes unpleasant scary emotions, which are highlighted with intense music performed by Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. After successful experiments in various shorts forms Dace Pūce confidentelly leaps forward to a big debut, inspired by true stories from Latvian writer Jana Egle.

Edvinas Pukšta

Director
Dace Puce
Screenwriter
Jana Egle
Cast
Agata Buzek, Egons Dombrovskis, Indra Burkovska, Luize Birkenberga, Dace Eversa
Producer
Klaus Heydemann, Kristele Pudane, Elina Zazerska
DoP
Gatis Grinbergs
Editor
Antti Jääskeläinen, Jussi Rautaniemi
Runtime
Language
Latvian
Subtitles
English
Trailer
Q&A with the filmmaker